1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a medical lavage apparatus that is useful for the introduction of an antidote solution into a patient's gastric cavity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stomach lavage apparatus for the introduction of a highly absorbent activated carbon or charcoal solution into the gastric cavity for the purpose of absorbing ingested poisons. Frequently in drug overdose cases or in situations when a person has swallowed a highly toxic substance, it is undesirable to eliminate the poisonous substance through vomiting. Instead, it is preferred to counteract the effects of the poison in situ. Activated charcoal, due to its large surface area per unit volume, is a preferred antidote for this purpose.
2. Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,929 to Silverman et al. describes a flexible package containing a predetermined quantity of dry, finely divided activated charcoal. In use, a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid is filled into the package to bring the charcoal into solution and the package is then connected to a lavage tube for expressing the contents into the patient's gastric cavity. A problem with this device is that in drug overdose situations and the like, it is imperative that the poison in the stomach be neutralized as quickly as possible, and valuable time may be lost in preparing the charcoal solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,156 to Benusa describes a method for stomach lavage using a flexible reservoir bag intended to hold a diluent such a ice, water, saline solution, or other like medicinal solutions. This bag is connected to a double T-fitting for introducing the diluent into the gastric cavity. Another branch of the fitting provides for connection to a syringe that in use holds a poison antidote, such as activated charcoal. The antidote is flushed into the gastric cavity by the medicinal solution which together serve to neutralize the poison therein.
The drawback with this method is that activated charcoal as a poison antidote is very prone to soiling its surroundings including clothing, equipment and the like. This problem is particularly acute in a hospital environment where white garb is customarily worn and the surroundings are required to be sterilized. Contact with activated charcoal can easily ruin a clothing outfit or stain the surrounding hospital equipment. It is therefore, highly desirable to provide the antidote solution in a closed system that negates the possibility of spilling the antidote. In Benusa, it is necessary for the syringe to be periodically discounted from the double T-fitting for the purpose of refilling the syringe with the activated charcoal solution. Furthermore, even if the syringe is of a size to hold a complete dosage sufficient to neutralize an ingested quantity of poison, the syringe must be initially filled from a reservoir of activated charcoal. This filling step presents an opportunity for spilling the charcoal and thereby staining clothing and the like.
The Silverman et al. patent refers to the problem of some prepackaged solutions of activated charcoal having a short life when mixed with water or other pharmaceutically acceptable liquids. The problem is not that the charcoal loses its highly absorbent characteristics, but rather that after being stored for a period of time, the charcoal will have precipitated out of suspension and formed into clumps on the bottom of the container. At such time as the charcoal is needed for medicinal purposes, the container is intended to be turned upside down and the solution squeezed or otherwise expressed from a discharge port in the container. However, the precipitated activated charcoal remains clumped to the upwardly turned bottom of the container and not in a fully suspended state.
In the present invention, the antidote solution comprising prepackaged activated charcoal is provided with a basic suspending vehicle that prevents the charcoal from precipitating out of solution. Such a charcoal solution is commercially available, for example from Paddock Laboratories, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn. as Antidose.TM. with Sorbitol. This antidote solution can be stored for an extended period of time without the charcoal precipitating out of suspension and while retaining its highly absorbent characteristics.